Bus Driver Saves Youngster He Found Alone On Busy Street
Move over Marvel, real life has heroes of its own! They might not soar through the skies like Iron Man or Thor but instead patrol in conventional transportation — in this case, buses. Yes folks, we have champions riding those unassuming vehicles we take for granted every day, saving the helpless in their hour of need. And one of the most recent sightings came in 2024.
Above and beyond
We’re referring to Keyon Finkley, a man who drives his bus all around Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He’s no stranger to the job, either: Finkley’s got four years’ service under his belt.
This is the first time he’s been called to go quite so far above and beyond the call of duty though, and it occurred on Capitol Drive, a locale which has something of a reputation.
Look ahead
Finkley told CNN that year, “Capitol Drive is one of the most dangerous streets. I live on Capitol Drive and I know how bad it can be.” But nothing prepared him for what happened next
He was just driving his route in February and sticking to his training. “They train us to look two or three blocks ahead, able to know everything around us,” Finkley elaborated.
Blood ran cold
It was during this sweep that Finkley spotted something that training could scarcely prepare him for. Something unusual moved on the roadside, and the sight made his blood run cold.
A young child was wandering into danger. The bus driver described, “Well, I seen the little boy that [started] to come out to my right side and start running in traffic.”
Oblivious
Surveillance cameras caught footage of the young tyke, who had somehow wandered away from his home and took off sprinting down the road barefoot. He was oblivious to the danger from oncoming traffic.
Finkley, who is a father-of-four himself, felt his instincts take over. “I got scared and instantly went ‘daddy mode,’” he said. Without a second thought, the bus driver jumped into action.
Keep him safe
“I got scared and in that, I need to get there and angle my bus and get him on my bus so I can keep him safe,” Finkley told the media.
With that in mind, Finkley pulled the bus into the bike lane as quickly as he could and rushed through the vehicle’s doors in pursuit of the errant wandering toddler.
Close to home
Finkley later told CNN, “I got scared and in that, I need to get there and angle my bus and get him on my bus so I can keep him safe.”
And that’s exactly what he did. He dashed towards the child, picked him and gave him a seat on the bus. The event hit a bit close to home, though.
Protect him
“That could be my son, somehow got out of the house,” Finkley explained, “and I would want somebody to be there for my son.” But he wasn’t satisfied until the child was completely safe.
“So, I had to be there for that boy and treat him like he was my son at that time, protect him the best I can until police get there.”
Happily reunited
It was no doubt a scary experience, but don’t worry — Milwaukee police told CNN everything worked out fine. Thanks to Finkley, the child and his family were happily reunited without casualties.
This isn’t the first time something similar has happened in recent years, though. Nor is it the second or third. In fact, the Milwaukee County Transit System revealed that it’s the 14th such event on its records!
Swooped in
These heroes posing as bus drivers have swooped in and saved the day time and again. Another life-saving incident occurred just a month later in New Orleans in March 2024.
Kia Rousseve is a school bus driver who set out like she would any other day in her vehicle loaded with children. Still, it would turn out to be not like any other day in one important way.
Staying alert
You see, the bus she drove was supposed to be in perfect condition. Fortunately for Rousseve and her passengers, though, she didn’t drop her guard. It saved lives that day.
Rousseve’s bus wasn’t as full as it could be — she still had multiple stops to make — but there were already nine children on her bus as she followed the route.
Where there’s smoke…
Before she could reach her final stop at Lafayette Academy, though, Rousseve noticed her vehicle behaving strangely. First it began slowing down, but that was the least of its problems.
The biggest red flag was when smoke started to pour out of the bus. And you know what they say: there’s no smoke without fire, so Rousseve took evasive action.
Springing into action
In the event, it was actually someone else who noticed the blaze before Rousseve. As the driver was trying to locate the problem, a girl outside the bus desperately called for her attention.
She’d spotted the source of the smoke, which was billowing up from under the bus where the fire burned. Rousseve didn’t waste any time springing into action in the face of potential disaster.
Cut the engine
The bus driver quickly but calmly got all the kids off their time-bomb of a vehicle and even cut its engine before herding her passengers to a safe distance away.
It wasn’t a moment too soon, either. Soon after they left, Rousseve heard a deafening cluster of explosions coming from the bus they’d narrowly escaped. She spoke to the media later that same month.
Blown up
According to British newspaper The Guardian Rousseve said, “The bus blew up in a split second. If I would have still been on that bus, I would have blown up with that bus.”
She’s not exaggerating, either. The shocking scene was caught on both street security cameras and with Rousseve’s own cell phone as she watched the disaster, stunned by her narrow escape.
What are the odds?
What are the chances of such a disaster happening? Actually, they’re probably more common than you think, according to a 2016 fire safety analysis by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The organization’s findings revealed that if we’re talking averages, there’s at least one reported every day! All the same, blazes like the one Rousseve encountered are considerably rarer. And most don’t literally end with a bang.
Heroic efforts
It wasn’t long before Rousseve’s supervisor heard of her heroic efforts and thanked her via a text message. They applauded her quick reactions and for “making sure the babies were safe.”
They also commended Rousseve for “her ability to stay calm in the face of danger,” stating that “ensuring not a single child came to harm is nothing short of heroic.”
Crucial role
The statement continued, “It’s a poignant reminder of the crucial role bus drivers play in our lives, often going unnoticed until a moment of crisis thrusts them into the spotlight.”
Rousseve was especially thankful she had managed to save the children because she’s a mother to a young son herself. She also credited her religion for her brave actions that day.
“God was with me”
“I’m just happy and glad that God was with me and I got the kids off the bus and got myself off the bus,” Rousseve said. Unfortunately, there were some downsides.
To begin with, the protocol for a bus fire is the same as a collision, so protocol required Rousseve to take a drug test. Needless to say though, she passed!
Traumatized
Actually, even though the bus was supposed to be almost new, Rousseve and her colleagues have their suspicions that the fault lay with a defective alternator. But that’s not all.
Rousseve said that the explosion has given her issues sleeping and it’s difficult to return to her bus driving career. She said, “I mean, I’m traumatized. I’m really afraid to even drive a school bus now.”
Pregnant
Speaking of bus blazes, another such vehicle caught fire in Milwaukee back in 2023. In this case, the driver was Imunek Williams, a mother-of-one who had also been pregnant at the time.
The beginning of her story shares similarities with Rousseve’s. She was driving a school bus on her usual route, and she had picked up quite a number of passengers along the way.
Smell of burning
Williams had 37 students on board destined for the Milwaukee Academy of Science when she smelled something burning. A worrying amount of smoke followed shortly after, and that’s when she knew something was wrong.
The bus driver told TMJ4 that year, “I just feel like I had to stay calm like it [was] my job to stay calm.” So she did just that and pulled over.
Out of control
Yet by the time she tried to call the incident in, the situation was already out of control. "I couldn't barely get what I was trying to say out,” Williams described.
She continued, “The smoke was hitting me in the face [and] in my eyes, so I was just like okay, forget the radio. Just got the kids off the bus.”
Mommy instincts
"I think that's when it was like my mommy instincts kicked in really fast,” Williams described. “And I was just like, ‘Okay, come on mom, let's do it, let's get off the bus.’”
The bus driver got all her passengers to safety — she even went back into the smoking vehicle to make sure she hadn’t missed anyone. And she was eight months pregnant, too!
Last one off
Williams was just in time. “I was the last person off, she elaborated. “Once I get off, I turned around and I just seen flames. I wanted to make sure that I was safe, baby was safe.”
And just like Finkley, Williams said, “You know if it was my kid on the bus I would've wanted one of the bus drivers to act the same way that I did.”
Emergency training
Williams had previous emergency training, but a large part of her success was down to her quick thinking and cool composure under pressure. Thanks to her, there were no casualties.
When TMJ4 caught up with Williams shortly after, she recounted the kind of safety checks she was trained for. “I make sure the headlights aren’t cracked, I check the bottom of the seats,” she explained.
“Makes me happy”
She is especially careful since the bus fire, but Williams is just happy it all worked out. “Everyone's okay, so that just makes me happy,” she revealed in her interview.
Williams continued, “It could’ve been 37 children [who] were burned in a fire, but it was 37 children [who] were saved.” Obviously, the children’s parents were grateful she had been there and at the top of her game.
Messages of thanks
In fact, some of the parents thanked Williams directly for her actions that saved their children that day. One of them contacted her via text message with a touching sentiment.
"Hi, I just wanted to personally thank you,” it read. “I had five children on that bus. You’re Heaven-sent.” Williams’ actions even earned her the trust of her young passengers.
“Looking for me”
She explained, “I had some days when I didn't come, they would be looking for me like where you been at? You here? Thank God you're back.” They’re clearly in safe hands.
“It's a good feeling that we were actually able to come to school and come to work the next day,” Williams concluded. She’s a super-mom and a super-driver rolled into one!
No stopping them
It seems there’s no stopping those Milwaukee bus drivers — they’re saving lives left and right, and have been for quite some time. Take this example, another one akin to Finkley’s rescue, for instance.
It happened back in December 2019 and the bus driver in question was one Irena Ivic, who was traveling a route on an overpass when she spotted a child in the road.
Just a diaper and onesie
According to Matt Sliker, a spokesman for the Milwaukee County Transit System, Ivic saw a child wearing nothing but a diaper and onesie approaching an intersection on the road towards traffic.
Just like Finkley, Ivic pulled the bus over, got off the bus and sprinted for the child before the worst could happen. The transit system’s surveillance footage captured the whole thing.
Shaking
The video shows Ivic quickly carrying the toddler back to her bus, and also catches her panicked reaction. “Oh my God, oh my God,” she pants breathlessly. “I am shaking.”
Ivic returns to the driver’s seat with the child to wait for police, while another passenger offers help in a different way: she gives up her coat for the freezing toddler.
Falling asleep
Wrapped up in the winter coat and snuggled by Ivic to keep her warm, the child can be seen in the footage falling asleep in the driver’s lap while Ivic strokes her hair.
Thankfully — despite the winter conditions, the child’s lack of clothing, and the close call she had in traffic — the child was rescued safe and sound. The transit system later revealed the circumstances behind her situation.
Slipped away
It turned out that the child’s mother was struggling with her mental health and the child must have slipped away somehow unnoticed. She was quickly reported missing before her discovery by Ivic.
Sliker revealed, “Authorities eventually reunited the baby with its father.” As for Ivic, a ceremony was held to celebrate her actions, but she remained modest in the face of praise.
“Right place at the right time”
“I’m just grateful I was in the right place at the right time,” Ivic said. “I absolutely love kids. I used to be a teacher and I have children of my own.”
The bus driver continued, “So I’m so happy I was able to help this sweet, innocent baby.” The Milwaukee transit system released statistics showing that its drivers had found nine missing children in the years surrounding the event.
Great reputation
Looking at these encounters, it’s no surprise that the Milwaukee Transit System has something of a reputation among the public for saving children! At least, that’s what NBC reported back in 2019.
One article read, “While there is no national data tracking how many lost kids are found by bus drivers , those working in public transit advocacy say the Milwaukee bus drivers' actions are emblematic of what bus drivers across the country do each day.”
“Eyes and ears of the community”
It went on to say that the drivers “act as the eyes and ears of the community and come to the aid of those in need of help.” Polly Hansen agrees with this statement.
Hansen is the American Public Transportation Association's senior director of security, risk, and emergency management. She said, "It’s not just lost kids that bus drivers end up helping." That’s putting it mildly!
Renowned
Apparently, they’re renowned for helping many other members of the public in their hour of need too, such as crime victims, disoriented people, and elderly people suffering from dementia.
Perhaps it’s because these bus drivers always patrol their routes and see all kinds of things on their journey. But whatever the reason, they go above and beyond to help.
“Unsung heroes”
“Bus operators are the unsung heroes that make communities safer,” Hansen said. She told NBC News that it’s these caring drivers that make the buses a safe space for many people.
Drivers even saved two children in one day in July 2019. Cressida Neal saved a child at 4:00 a.m. and Cecilia Nation-Gardner rescued a lost little girl just four hours later!
Unfair stigma
It’s fair to say that buses in the U.S. don’t have the best reputation. There’s a stigma associated with them that’s thoroughly unfair, especially considering how hard the drivers work.
And they’re not just doing their jobs either. They’re pushing the envelope to help the community as well in ways that should really be recognized for what they are: real-life heroics.